Our current Editors' Choice superzoom, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, packs a massive array of featuresand an 18X zoom lensinto a relatively compact body. This 8.3-megapixel shooter delivers above-average image quality, and at only $399.95, it's a bargain. (Its biggest faultnoisy images in low lightingis typical of cameras in this class.) A worthy follow-up to Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8, the FZ18 adds some key features like a longer zoom and wider angle, higher sensitivity and resolution, and Intelligent Auto Mode, which includes face detection, automatic scene selection, intelligent ISO, and continuous autofocus. It's also similar to the Fuji FinePix S8000fd, but the FZ18 delivers more advanced features, greater ease of use, and better performance.

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The star component of the FZ18 is its 18X wide-angle Leica lens, which has a range of 4.6mm to 82.8mm (equivalent to a 35mm lens with a 28-to-504mm zoom). The wide angle is a welcome upgrade from the FZ8, allowing you to capture more in group portraits and landscapes. The zoom operates at two speeds, depending on how far you push the zoom lever, and operation is smooth and seamless.

ISO ranges from 100 to 1,600. The camera has an Intelligent ISO mode that detects moving subjects and automatically increases the ISO to decrease blur. Panasonic has added a high-sensitivity mode that enables you to capture photos at an ISO as high as 6,400, although the resolution drops to 3MP. (Needless to say, the image quality also takes a dive.) The maximum aperture varies from f/2.8 at the wide end to f/4.2 at 504mm. The FZ18 offers not only raw mode, it also provides a raw-plus-JPEG option, which isn't usually found on inexpensive superzooms.

The FZ18's design showcases Panasonic's thoughtful attention to ergonomics. At 14.4 ounces (including battery and SD card), the camera is lightweight for a superzoom yet feels solid and well constructed. The FZ18 has a nice, rubberized grip that puts your fingers in a logical position to control the top-level buttons and provides a nice hook on the back for your thumb. On top, the shutter-release button and zoom lever are logically placed for comfortable use. The mode dial lets you select one of 14 top-level settings, including the primary mode selections and most popular scenes. Panasonic has added discrete manual focus and macro buttons, allowing for direct operation.

The back of the camera is home to a 2.5-inch, 207,000-pixel display. The screen is very bright; I was able to frame shots even in full sunlight. On my field tests, however, I found the LCD was sometimes slow to refresh. If that's a problem, you can frame shots with the electronic viewfinder, which has a 188,000-pixel display and includes an adjustable diopter. That's a welcome addition not available in the DMC-TZ3, which lacks an electronic viewfinder.

The buttons on the FZ18's back are well positioned for ergonomic use. The two that you'll use most are the main menu cursor buttons and the joystick. The center button of the menu cursor puts you into the menu system; the four surrounding directional buttons let you control exposure, flash settings, the self-timer, and image playback. If you prefer, you can navigate the menu using the small joystick. It's convenient for accessing commonly changed settings, such as ISO and white balance.

On my field tests, the FZ18 was an impressive performer. It's a blast to use, thanks to its extensive list of features, intuitive menu system, and highly versatile lens. In general, the camera captured images with accurate, natural color and correct exposures, especially outdoor shots. Indoor and low-light shots sometimes suffered from noise (more on that later).

Image stabilization worked well. Panasonic gives you two stabilization settings: In mode 1, the image stabilizer is constantly working; in mode 2, the stabilizer is activated only when the shutter button is pressed. On my tests, both options worked fine, although I found mode 1 a little easier to use. The face detection function, new to the Panasonic's superzoom line, automatically sets exposures and focus. It can recognize up to 15 faces, and it worked well under normal lighting conditions, although sometimes not as well in low light. The FZ18 has 17 scene modes, plus an advanced mode that lets you fine-tune the settings in popular scenes. In portrait mode, for instance, you can choose among normal, soft skin, outdoor, indoor, and creative settings.

While testing the FZ18, I discovered two unique and useful features. The high-angle LCD mode helps when you hold the camera above your head to take a shot because it optimizes the display, increasing the viewing angleon my tests, it worked well. Another feature I like is the Extra Optical Zoom mode, which enables you to achieve a zoom of up to 28.7X. When you use this feature, the resolution drops to 3MP, but images still looked good enough.

For video, you can record motion JPEGs at 30 frames per second (up to 2GB in size) at resolutions of 640 by 480 and 320 by 240 pixels at the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio, and 848 by 480 pixels in 16:9 aspect ratio. The camera adjusted well to various lighting conditions and color was impressive, but you can't zoom during video capture.

On lab tests, I saw some barrel distortion at the extreme edge, which is typical. Simulated daylight test shots at ISO 100 were rendered in accurate color and crisp detail, with no purple fringing. Noise was visible at ISO 200 and objectionable at ISO 400. The FZ18 didn't fare as well on indoor flash tests, yielding images that were less crisp and a bit noisier. The FZ18's boot-up time was 3.2 seconds, which is fast for this class of camera. The camera also did very well on the resolution test, achieving an average resolution of 2,000 lines.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ18 is at the top of its class in features, and its performance was marred only slightly by noisy images under low lighting conditions, which is typical of cameras in this category. It's a perfect option for the photographer who wants more than a point-and-shoot but doesn't need the advanced features of D-SLR models.